1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developer container, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer which uses an electrophotographic technique, a developing device supplies toner (developer) to an electrostatic latent image formed by exposing the uniformly charged surface of a photosensitive member during image information to form a toner image (visible image), and the toner image is transferred to a recording material to obtain an image. In such an apparatus, a cartridge (a process cartridge) in which a photosensitive member, a charging device, a developing device, a cleaning device, and the like are packaged in a frame different from the frame of an apparatus body has been practically used. And the cartridge which can be detachably attached to the apparatus body has been practically used. In such a process cartridge, a configuration in which a toner storage unit is formed as a toner container (a developer container) separated from a developing unit so as to be detachably attached to a cartridge frame is also proposed. Such a toner container is generally configured such that toner in the container is supplied to the developing unit through an opening formed in the toner container and the opening is opened and closed by a shutter.